That's The Way Life Is
by Cyan Storm
Summary: Both Gary and Ash are at pivotal crossroads in their lives, going through many trials and tribulations. When they run into one another in the beautiful forests surrounding Pallet Town, things start to look up as each one finds comfort in the presence of an old friend. Little do they know there's a storm brewing! *cue evil laughter, thunder and lighting* Palletshipping, AshxGary
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokemon, please don't sue me.

On with the show

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"Shit!" Gary swore under his breath at the sight before him. He had left his camp sight unattended for literally 10 minutes and in that time some wild Pokémon had decided to use his tent and sleeping bag as a claw sharpener.

"I'LL GET YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DOOO!" he shouted to no one in particular, sliding down against a tree as he messaged his temples. No, he decided, getting angry was not going to solve anything. It would probably end up making the situation worse.

The problem was that he was at least three days away from the closes town, so if it decided to rain he was royally screwed. He briefly considered constructing a shelter out of leaves and twigs, but quickly decided that it was way too hot at the moment to even attempt to do something like that. Yes, he thought, he'd wait till dusk when it was nice and cool, and then he would build a shelter.

Truth be told, Gary was having incredibly foul luck as of late. First he'd totalled his car, his grandfather refusing to get him another one. Then he'd gotten a sever ass whopping from some trainer half his age in Lavender town. And now this.

Laying down in the thick grass of the clearing and closing his eyes, he decided that it would be best to leave everything up to the gods. If they thought he was such a terrible person that he had to be stranded in the middle of the forest with no shelter, then so be it. Feeling incredibly sorry for himself he let out a little whimper, a sing tear streaming down the side of his face.

"I think the sound came from this direction Pikachu! Let's follow it!" a voice exclaimed. Gary Oak shot up from his current position so fast he almost got whiplash. 'That voice' he thought, 'it sounds so familiar…...oh shit'. Realising who was making their way to the clearing he stood up straight and attempted to rub whatever moister was still in his eyes away. He couldn't let his rival see him like this, not in a million years!

Ash was getting closer now as the sound of footsteps and breaking twigs seemed to fill the small clearing. Leaning casually against a tree and putting on his best smirk, he braced himself.

"Well well well, if it isn't' Ashy-boy! What brings you to this neck of the woods?" he asked, his usual haughty attitude failing somewhat in his current situation. It was hard to be arrogant when you were essentially homeless and desolate.

The chocolate-brown eyed boy looked up, somewhat startled, before taking in the scene before him. Torn peace's of tent and half a sleeping bag littered the clearing, Gary standing a few meters away from the huge mess.

"Ah, hey Gary! Well I heard something in the distance. It sounded like a crazy person yelling or something, so I thought I'd come check it out. Did you hear it too?" Ash questioned, his head cocked to the side like a confused Arcanine.

Gary paused, briefly considering the fact that he had apparently sounded like a crazy person, let out a huge sigh, and then spoke. "That was me, Ash. OK? I've…just had really bad luck lately. I left this clearing for a few minutes to look for a river or pond to cool down in, and when I came back some wild Pokémon had destroyed my tent and sleeping bag." He finished, looking rather derelict.

'Wow' Ash thought, in all his years he had never seen his rival like this. A small smirk began to form on Ash's lips before he whipped it away. Now was not the time to relish in his rivals misfortune.

"Jeez, so where are you gonna sleep? You know they say there's a massive storm on its way to this region. You'll get drenched!" Ash stated, remembering what he had seen on the news.

"I KNOW that Ash, I wasn't born yesterday. I was thinking of making a shelter out of some leaves and branches, but I'll do that when it cools down a bit. Right now it's too hot to do anything other than laze about." With that, Gary sat down cross legged in the grass, picking at random weeds to keep himself busy.

Ash pondered the situation over a bit before he spoke. "It's no big deal buddy, you can share my tent. It's only really big enough for one person but I'd feel bad if I had to let you sleep out here in the cold."

Somewhat stunned by Ash's words, Gary almost started to blush. "Wow, thanks Ash, that's really kind of you. Guess you're not such a bad guy after all!"

"It's the least I can do to help." Ash stated simply, looking off into the dense forest growth. He really wasn't used to this side of Gary and part of him wished he would just return to his usual arrogant self. Another part of him, however, was somewhat captivated by this mature and appreciative Oak. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he lay down in the long grass and stretched out his legs.

A few minutes passed buy, nothing but the sound of bird and bug Pokémon chirping and squawking in the distance. The heat was beginning to get almost unbearable. This was too much.

Ash propped himself up into a sitting position before observing his rival, who currently looked like he had been washed up on a deserted island.

"Say, did you ever find that river you were looking for? I'd love to take a swim. If I don't cool down I think I'm gonna pass out." Ash said, his face already flushed from the heat.

"Na, I tried, but this place is too damn huge. I didn't really want to wonder off to far in case I got lost. We're just gonna have to stick it out until night fall." Gary stated flatly, sighing as he fanned himself with a large leaf that had fallen from a tree nearby.

Ash grimaced, the idea of waiting another five hours until this heat subsided almost making him throw up. And then he had an idea. Walking over to where he left his backpack, he quickly retrieved his Pokedex and flipped it open. "I've got an idea…" Ash said trailing off. Gary looked up at the younger boy holding his Pokedex in his right hand, prodding at the screen.

Rolling his eyes, Gary turned away. "If you think I'm gonna help you catch Pokémon in this heat you must be crazier than you look". Ash deadpanned, before chuckling. "Not that. How obsessed do you think I am?"

'Very' the spikey brunet wanted to answer, but couldn't quite summon the energy to do so. "I'm trying to find a place for us to swim. There's bound to be water around here somewhere…" Ash was prodding at his Pokedex with unbridled enthusiasm. Curious as to exactly how the raven haired boy planned to use his Pokedex to find water, Gary got up and stood beside him, squinting at the device in the younger boy's hand. "What the heck is this?" Gary said, pointing to the small screen. "Pokemaps. It's got satellite pictures of this entire region. If there are any large lakes or rivers nearby we should be able to see them on here…" Ash explained, fingers swiping across the screen as he spoke.

Gary was somewhat taken aback. Was this really Ash, his childhood rival? Ash had always been so dense and out of touch with the times. Yet hear he was using a feature of his Pokedex Gary hadn't even known existed. He watched with wide eyed admiration as Ash focused on the task at hand.

"Bingo!" Ash shouted, putting the small device back into his pocket. "There should be a lake roughly 600 meters from here, just past that really tall redwood" he said, pointing in the direction of an old tree.

"Well I hope your right, I could really use a swim right now. This whole month has been so stressful I desperately need to let off some steam." Gary mused as they stated walking in the direction of the giant tree.

Gary would never admit it, but the walk was quite enjoyable. They walked in silence, occasionally catching a glance of a rare bug Pokémon here, a flying type there. The ambience of the forest was putting them in a slight trance as they admired the natural beauty all around them. Speaking of natural beauty, Gary couldn't help notice how nicely Ash had filled out in the past years. He was still quite scrawny, but he had definitely put on some muscle from all of his training. His face had retained all of its boyish quality's, resulting in him looking a few years younger than he actually was.

Before they knew it, they were standing at the edge of a large lake that glistened in the sun.

"AH AWESOME! What do you think Pikachu?" Ash asked his poke-pal who had been following them silently the whole time. "Pika-Pi-CHU!" Pikachu said before diving head first into the cool water.

Ash glanced over at his human companion who was currently starring in awe at the incredible sight before them. "ASH! This is great! You're a freakin life saver man!" Tossing his clothes to the side and clad only in his white boxers, Gary dived into the crystal clear water only to emerge a few seconds later looking slightly perplexed.

"How's the water?" Ash shouted from where he was currently perched, untying his shoes. "It's incredible! So refreshing! Though I think I lost my underwear when I dived in…" Gary revealed, looking around rather awkwardly. Ash couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Gary's current vulnerability. This day really was getting better and better.

"Get your ass in here Ash, the water is amazing!" the taller boy shouted, ducking under the water and swimming with the kind of fluidity the raven haired boy could only dream of. "Yea yea in a minute, lemme just get undressed." Ash said, standing up and pulling off his left sock while holding onto a nearby branch for stability. Unfortunately for Ash, said branch was not strong enough to support him leaning on it and thus it proceeded to snap, sending Ash tumbling off the rock face and into the crystal waters below, fully clothed. Upon witnessing this, Gary burst out laughing uncontrollably.

When Ash surfaced, he was somewhat stunned. Spluttering from the water that had gone up his nose, he was greeted with the sight of Gary canned over in irrepressible fits of laughter.

"What the heck is so funny?" the smaller boy questioned the other, spitting bits of water lily out of his mouth. "Why YOU are Ashy-boy. Ah god I haven't laughed this hard in ages. You really ought to be more careful!" Gary said as he continued to chuckle, relaxing in the soothing coolness of the lake.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind" Ash retorted as he climbed out of the water, striped himself down to his silky black boxers and proceeded to dive bomb back into the lake.

"Ah this really is amazing" Ash purred as he bobbed up and down in the liquid bliss. What had started out as a somewhat stressful day was turning into a fun filled afternoon. There was silence as both boys took in the surreal beauty of the place they were currently situated.

Gary was the first one to break the silence. "So, where are those friends of yours, Brock and Misty? You don't usually travel alone do you?". Opening his eyes, Ash started "Well they weren't too keen on traveling through the forest. Misty's afraid of bug Pokémon and Brock cannot be without his creature comforts for too long, so they're traveling by train and staying in a hotel until I get back to Pallet Town. I've been trekking through this forest for the past day and a half now, and so far it's been quite an experience. I haven't caught any new Pokémon, but I've really enjoyed being away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. It's quite refreshing actually." He finished.

For the second time today Gary was impressed. Ash not going out of his way to catch Pokémon? Not to mention the fact that he was clearly enjoying the blissful tranquillity of the immense forest. When the heck had his rival become so mature and gained such a dutiful appreciation for nature? Maybe he could appreciate other aspects of nature. Human nature, per se. Gary shook that thought from his mind, feeling somewhat dirty.

He looked back at the smaller boy who was attempting to float on his back. "And you, what have you been up to Mr. Gary?" Ash questioned playfully, a dark eyebrow raised. The taller boy cleared his throat before he spoke. "Well not much really, I was making my way back to Pallet when I decided to rather take the scenic route. I've only got to be there in 4 days so I thought why not go on a bit of an adventure. You know? Kill some time. Get away from it all."

Ash knew exactly what he meant. Sometimes you just needed to be alone and have time to think. Ash was starting to think his old friend turned rival had really turned over a new leaf. "Yea, I know. The time alone has really helped me. It's just…" Ash struggled, backpedalling somewhat. "Just what" Gary inquired, wanting to know more. "Well, me and Misty, we started dating a while ago." Ash continued, "At first it was great. We were practically inseparable. But as the months went on we kinda drifted apart. She's a great girl and everything, but, yea, I dunno…" Ash faltered, becoming somewhat emotional.

Sensing this Gary moved in closer in an attempt to comfort his old rival, resting his hand on Ash's small shoulder. "It's OK Ash, love works that way. People often spend their entire lives falling in and out of love until they find someone that they can stick with. But if you don't try, you'll never fly. C'est la vie" Gary finished, letting his hand fall back into the water.

"Say la what?" Ash looked at him quizzically, not understanding. "It's French, Ash. It means 'Such is life' or 'That's the way life is'. Spend less time thinking about the implications of things and more time following your heart. You were always pretty good at that." Gary offered, sinking deeper into the water.

"Yea, I guess. It's just hard when you really gave it your all and it all amounts to nothing. I mean, I don't feel anything for her after what she did to me…" Ash trailed off again, this time becoming even more emotion. "Did what? What exactly did she do to upset you so much?" Gary pressed on, needing to know more. "Do I really have to tell you?" Ash looked up at his friend, this time with eyes that conveyed a deep amount of hurt.

Gary swallowed visibly, taking all this information in. He knew it must have been something pretty bad to upset Ash like this. "Well if you get it off your chest you might feel a bit better. You know, it's a good way to put your mind at ease. You can trust me…" Gary offered weekly.

"Well alright, if you really have to know, she cheated on me. With Brock, of all people." Ash spat, feeling the hurt sink in deeper than ever before. "WHAT?! She cheated on you? No way!" Gary couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"We had all booked into a hotel, had supper, and a few drinks. I told them I was going to sleep since I had a rough day, so they said they would have one more round before coming up to the room. Unfortunately there were only two small beds in the room and one couch, and since I was already tired and didn't mind the couch, I decided to sleep there. I wake up in the middle of the night and see that they still haven't arrived, so I decide to go down stairs and look for them, but they are nowhere to be found. By this time I was pretty worried, I mean, they're my friends and all, why wouldn't I worry? So I ask some random dude in the bar if he's seen a guy and a red-head girl, and he tells me that they left with a friend of his a while ago. He gives me his key card and the room number so I bolt upstairs, wondering what the heck they were up to. I reach the room, unlock the door, and see Misty in bed with Brock and some girl I've never met before." Ash finished off, visibly startled from having to relive the ordeal again.

If Gary's jaw hadn't been on the floor before, it was glued there now.

"But Brock's your friend! How the hell could he do that?" Gary contemplated out loud. Ash continued "Apparently this chick, Alisha, started flirting with Brock in the bar and eventually she lured him and Misty upstairs to the room. Brock and Alisha start making out, and Misty decides to take it easy on the couch and go to sleep. The lights go out and things start getting hotter and heavier. Brock and Alisha start having sex right there and then. Misty is hearing all this and getting more and more turned on. Eventually she snaps and sneaks into bed with them. And that's more or less when I show up and give them a lesson in cuss combos, extremely loud noises and the art of dodging flying porcelain" Ash finished off, looking more angry than sad.

"Wow…that's just…wow" Gary stumbled, not quite knowing what to say. "I've mostly gotten over it, but it still hurts, I mean, how dumb do they think I really am?" Ash struggled to keep composed as emotions of betrayal started to sink in. Turning away from his human companion, he sighed a deep sigh, closing his eyes.

A few seconds passed in silence before it was broken by the sound of laughter. Gary was laughing, almost hysterically. "What the hell is so funny?" Ash spat, glaring daggers in Gary's direction. "YOU ARE MAN! Seriously? A lesson in cuss combos, extremely loud noises and the art of dodging flying porcelain? That's hilarious!" Gary keeled over again, eyes shut. Now that Ash thought about it he had worded those last few lines quite comically. Laying back in the water he started to chuckle, and in no time he was laughing out loud. Both boys soon gained their composure and stared at each other gleefully for a second or two. "I think we should start heading back to camp. It's gonna start getting dark and I'm starving" Ash said, breaking the silence.

"I couldn't agree more Ash, let's go!" And with that they grabbed their clothes and proceeded to make their way back to their camp site, Pikachu hot on their heels. Gary was feeling completely revived and Ash felt more at peace with the world than he had been in recent memory. Today, as it turned out, was a good day.

-END OF CHAPTER ONE-

Don't worry peeps, part two is on its way I promise. Remember, feedback is always appreciated and reviews will help me refine my writing style. The more feedback I get, the faster I'm gonna get a new chapter out.

Peace.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, so this story turned out allot...heavier than I originally planned, but i wanted it to end with a bang (no pun intended). I'm quite happy with the way it turned out in the end and I hope you will be to. There are probably a few spelling and grammar mistakes here and there, but I'll fix those up when it isn't 2 am in the morning. ON WIT DA SHOW!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, bla bla bla.

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The walk back to camp was very pleasant, both boys strolling through the forest at a leisurely pace. When they made it back to the camp sight Gary spoke up. "Wadda you say we put up the tent now, make a fire, and then we can relax?" "That sounds like a good idea, once I sit down I'm not gonna want to get up again." Ash stated, pulling his small fold up tent from his bag. Soon the two had erected what admittedly looked like a tent for kids, but it was definitely better than nothing.

"Now all we need is fire wood!" Ash specified, looking around the small clearing for anything that would burn. Lucky for him it turned out it was not hard to find wood in the forest. The outskirts of the clearing where littered with small twigs and branches, and in no time Ash had amassed a pile of wood that could start a small bonfire. "Done already?" Gary questioned, looking at the pile of wood dumped on the ground. "Yep, now all we need is fire lighters!" the raven haired boy said as he tried to organise the sticks and branches into something that would burn nicely. "Arcanine, come give us a hand would you?" Gary said as he released his Pokémon from its Pokeball. "Arc-Arcanin!" the fire Pokémon barked gleefully, exited to be out of his Pokeball and enjoying the change in scenery. "Arcanin, use flame thrower!" Gary directed, pointing at the pile of wood on the forest floor.

"NINE!" the fire Pokémon chirped, blasting a torrent of flames in the direction of the wood. Though the wood was still slightly wet, the sheer ferocity with which Arcanine's attack engulfed the pile of wood meant that after a minute or two the fire was burning gently on its own, starting to pick up speed. "Great job Arcanine, return!" Gary instructed. The fire Pokémon glanced at his trainer with one of the saddest puppy-dog expressions Gary had ever seen. "Aw what's wrong boy? You wanna stay outside a bit longer?" the auburn haired boy asked the hound. "Arc-arc-CANINE!" the Pokémon responded in delight. "OK. Just don't burn the forest down!" Gary chortled as Arcanin bounded off into the dense forest, sniffing at the foot of a tree and rolling in the dirt. Pikachu bounced after Arcanin, feeling like a little bit of adventure herself.

And finally all was quite. As the sun sat low in the sky casting peachy hues of pink and orange across the heavens, both boys felt extremely content. Ash was still clad in only his boxers as the rest of his clothes where still sopping wet, Gary in his jeans without a shirt on. "Man, what a day!" Ash breathed, lying flat in the cool grass. "You can say that again." Gary responded, mimicking Ash and lying flat on his back. The two boys lay about a foot away from each other as the fire crackled and danced peacefully in the centre of the clearing.

"We should really do this more often Ashy-boy. I…I miss this…" the auburn haired boy trailed off, eyes slightly glazed. "Miss what?" Ash said, not quite understanding. "I miss the way we used to hang out together when we were young. I mean, we were always so close." Gary said sounding a bit distant. "Yea..I miss it to. I've really missed it. I always wondered why you started pushing me away. You know it really hurt me, because you were like my best friend in the world. And then suddenly you started calling me a loser and…well…it just hurt. I decided to put all my energy into training my Pokémon to take my mind of it, but I always wondered what the heck happened to us…" Ash was now looking off into the distance, sounding almost as desponded as Gary. The taller boy gulped, finally realising how much pain he must have caused his friend turned rival.

"I'm sorry Ash, I really am. It's just…things got really complicated for me at that time and my mind was in a bit of a mess. I was becoming a teenager and…yea. I was probably a bit of a dick to everyone…you especially" Gary said, feeling quite remorseful.

Gary wished he could tell Ash the truth. That the real reason he had stopped begin the boys friend was that he loved him. That he was obsessed with him. That he desired him more than anything in the world. That even at that young age he would steal glances at the smaller boy, undress him with his eyes, and dream of consuming his lithe form with wet kisses and slow ministrations. All of this was too much for his 14 year old brain to comprehend at the time, and so he ran. He pushed the one he loved so much as far away as possible and ran for the hills. He couldn't come to terms with how much power this kid had over him, and it scared him.

If only he knew then, that Ash desired him just as much, if not more. Ash was good at act acting oblivious. It was his way of dealing with situations that he didn't quite understand or was afraid of. Through their early teens Ash had fallen head over heels for Gary. Gary was like his protector, his guardian angel. Whenever the other kids would pick on Ash, Gary would be right there to set them straight. Whenever Gary would tell a joke Ash would laugh wholeheartedly, even if it was an incredibly lame one.

He would wake the taller boy up in the morning, warm mug of hot chocolate made especially for him. Whenever Gary would come over to the Ketchum residence Ash's face would brighten up, his personality changing instantly from introspective loner to someone whose smile could light up the whole town of Pallet. When Gary was with him he felt free. He felt…alive. Ash would try his best to captivate his taller companion through subtle gestures and compliments, but in Ash's mind they had all been to no avail. Gary didn't like him, so he thought, and soon the two where rivals.

As both boys lay in the clearing deep in thought, it's started to get darker and a cool mist descended upon the forest floor. Feeling a chill creep up his spine Ash scooted closer to the fire, his chocolate brown eyes staring deep into the flames. "Would you like a blanket?" Gary said softly, looking at Ash. "Thanks that would be great. It's starting to get a bit cold out here." Ash said, eyes still transfixed on the burning embers. Reaching into his backpack Gary quickly retrieved a fleece blanket and draped it around the smaller boy's shoulders. Ash looked up to him from his sitting position, dark brown eyes wide with gratitude. "Thanks Mr. Gary!" Ash said spiritedly, pulling the blanket around him as he continued to star into the fire. Just then Ash's stomach grumbled, remembering that they had still not eaten anything. "Hey, you feel hungry?" The brunet asked his raven haired companion, hearing Ash's stomach sounds. "Yea I could really do with a good bite to eat, though all I have is ramen noodles and nothing to make them in…" Ash said flatly. "Good thing I always carry a pot with me." Gary said, retrieving a small pot from his backpack and filling it with water from his water bottle. Placing it on the fire, he gestured to Ash for the noodles with an open hand. The smaller boy promptly got up and pulled a large pack of beef flavoured ramen noodles from his rucksack. "Mmmmm, beef flavour. Looks like we're gonna be dining like kings tonight!" Gary exclaimed, winking at Ash. "You bet!" Ash giggled, leaning back as he watched the other boy carefully place the pot onto the fire, fill it with water and emptying the contents of the ramen packet into the small pot. As Gary stirred everything up, Ash couldn't help but stare silently at the auburn haired boy in front of him.

He was taller now; more mature and above all, drop dead gorgeous. The sun had long since set, the warm orange light of the fire illuminating Gary's face and making him look almost angelic. Ash was smitten at how beautiful his rival had become, a slight smile planted on his face. "Ash..." Gary spoke, breaking the younger boy from his trance.

Realising that he had been staring Ash quickly lowered his head as he started to blush. "Yea?" he retorted. "What's up? You look so distant…" Gary questioned a hint of concern in his voice. "Ah nothing, I just can't remember the last time I had such a peaceful evening. This is amazing!" he said, a smile spreading across his face. "Yea, I'm really enjoying this too. Thanks for showing up, Ash. If it wasn't for you I would probably be sitting alone here in the darkness telling myself how much life sucks. You really have impeccable timing, Ashy-boy!" Gary said, teasing his smaller companion. Both boys sat in silence as the smell of the beef noodle ramen began to fill the air, Ash couldn't help but salivate.

"Looks like dinners almost ready, would you mind getting two bowls for us from my backpack?" Gary said, pointing in its' direction. "No problem…" with that Ash got up and walked to the bag, retrieved two small plastic bowls and a pair of chopsticks, and placed them down next to the fire. "Mmmmmm! Smells great!" Ash said enthusiastically, his mouth watering more than ever. With delicate precision Gary poured the contents of the pot into the two bowls, making sure he didn't spill anything. "This is gonna be delish! Bon apatite, Ashy-boy!" Gary said, handing one of the bowls to Ash along with a pair of chopsticks.

"Thanks a million; you have no idea how hungry I am." Ash almost purred, taking the chopsticks out of their plastic wrapper and holding them in his hand. He lifted the bowl and scooped some noodles into his mouth, instantly feeling allot better. "mmmm…is goog!" Ash said with a mouth full of noodles. Truth be told, the instant ramen noodles where probably decent at best, but given the action packed day both boys had just had, they tasted like the best thing in the world. "Mmmm, definitely…" Gary added, stuffing a sizable quantity of noodles into his mouth.

This truly was heaven. As both boys polished off their food, Ash brought his bowl to his mouth, gulping down the soupy liquid as if he hadn't eaten in years. "AAAAAHHH!" Ash said, leaning back and burping as he rubbed his stomach. "That was freaking AMAZING! You should become a chef!" Ash said appreciatively. "Please, it's just instant ramen, all I did was put it in boiling water." Gary laughed, placing his empty bowl down next to him. "Well you sure know how to boil water then. It never tastes that good when I make it." Ash finished, Gary shaking his head and smiling at the somewhat non-sensible words coming from his friend. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed it, I'm so full I feel like I'm going to burst." Gary finished off, laying back down in the grass. "Me too!" Ash echoed, mimicking Gary.

The two boys talked for a bit, catching up on what one another had been up to in the recent times as the night grew cooler.

The flames of the fire continued to dance, its penetrating warmth soothing both boys to no end. The events of the day flashed through Ash's mind. It all seemed so surreal, like a hazy dream one would have on a Sunday afternoon. From his encounter earlier on with Gary in the clearing to their fun filled afternoon swimming in the crystal clear waters of the lake, to the delicious ramen they had just enjoyed around the fire. It was all too unreal. It made him feel so alive and free that he wished everyday could be like this. He wished he could be with Gary forever. "Ahhh" Ash sighed. He could dream, couldn't he?

Both boys now lay in silence for what must have been almost an hour, the gentle clicking of the fire and ambience of the forest calming them into a dreamlike state. Ash was the first to break the silence "I think I'm going to go to bed. If I stay up any longer I'm going to fall asleep right here, and it's starting to get really cold…" Ash rubbed his shoulders as a cool breeze cut through the night air. "Yea, me too. If you hadn't spoken up now I would have probably fallen asleep right where I am. "Should we put the fire out?" Ash asked, looking down at the burning cinders.

"Na, it looks like it's gonna rain soon, and if it doesn't the fire will scare away any wild Pokémon that might be lurking out in the night…" Gary said, trying to sound scary. Ash visibly shivered at the thought. Glancing over his shoulder Ash saw Pikachu curled up next to Arcanin, the two Pokémon fast asleep. "Good night Pikachu, sweet dreams…" Ash said as he smiled down at his Pikachu, gently stroking its soft fur. Pikachu stirred in his sleep, huddling closer to Arcanin for warmth.

And with that Ash made his way to the small tent, Gary following suite. Once they were inside it became obvious that this tent was made for a kid. Gary sat down in the corner, trying to get comfortable. "Uh, I only have one sleeping bag, but you're welcome to share it with me if you want…" Ash stated feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Uh, that's ok, I'll just sleep on the floor. I'm not all that cold actually." Gary lied, the mere thought of sharing a sleeping bag with Ash arousing him on the spot. "Well if you get too cold later on, don't hesitate to hop in. I'm quite a heavy sleeper so I probably won't even notice." Ash finished. "Thanks Ash, I'll keep that in mind." Gary said calmly, lying down next to Ash on the floor of the tent. Reaching out of the sleeping bag Ash turned off the small light they had been using and in no time the tent was immersed in darkness.

The events of the day had exhausted both of them and as the cool wind outside picked up they both drifted off into the land of dreams, their breathing steady and slow.

As the night drew on, it began to rain. At first lightly, then harder, and soon it was coming down in buckets as a chilly wind blew through the small opening of the tent. Stirring in his sleep, Gary awoke to find that he was cold and his skin was covered in Goosebumps. Feeling somewhat light headed he slowly pulled down the zipper of Ash's sleeping bag and crept in next to him, the feeling of the warm thick fabric against his skin incredibly sensual, not to mention the heat that was radiating off the younger boy that lay so close by. Closing his eyes, Gary sighed. He was already feeling too comfortable. This was gonna be a long night. "Mmph…Aahaaa…Gary…I…."Ash half mumbled. "What is it Ash? You OK?" Gary questioned, but the smaller boy remained silent. "I…Ahhh" Ash mumbled again, stirring slightly.

Gary looked his companion over in the darkness, realising that Ash was talking in his sleep. "oh boy" Gary said to no one in particular, laying down again on his back. He was very much aware of the fact that his hips where making contact with those of the younger boy, as the sleeping bag was also relatively small, and it was arousing him more than anything.

Knowing he wouldn't get any sleep if he was in his current state he shifted to the side as much he could, breaking the contact between them. "Ah that's better" he said softly. A few minutes passed and it sounded as if the rain was actually getting heavier. "eh…Mmmm….Aaahh!" Ash almost shouted in his sleep, stirring even more. Was the boy having a nightmare or something? "Aaaaaaahh" Ash murmured again, this time flipping over onto his stomach, his head practically resting on Gary's shoulder as he unconsciously draped his right leg over Gary's. This was all getting too much for poor Mr. Gary Oak, his heart beating a thousand miles a minute. "Aaaa…..I….need…..aaaaahH" Ash slurred once more, moving in even closer. Suddenly, in a flash of realization it dawned on Gary exactly what was happening. Ash was having a wet dream. He's teenage crush, was lying next to him. Having a wet dream. Whatever control Gary had been able to muster had just instantaneously evaporated into thin air. This was, by FAR, the most stimulating thing he had ever experienced in his entire life. "AAaaah" Ash moaned again unconsciously, pushing his hardened member into the other boy's side. Gary flinched at the contact, not knowing what the hell to do.

At this point his heart was beating so fast and hard he could hear it in his ears. His vision was blurred. His own erection was straining almost painfully against his jeans. "AAAAHH!" Ash almost yelled again, grinding up against Gary in desperation. This was too much. Gary felt like he was goanna explode into the atmosphere if he had to be exposed to another second of Ash's desperate please for release. Just then as if someone in the heavens had heard him, a blinding flash of lightning light up the forest, followed shortly by the heavy drum-roll of thunder.

Ash stirred again, silently this time as he opened his mouth and then closed it. None of this had helped Gary calm his raging hormones of course, but it was a welcome distraction. Again a heavy flash of lighting filled the night sky, followed this time by and even louder bellow of thunder. Again Ash stirred, this time waking up and opening his eyes. Noticing this, Gary quickly acted as if he was asleep, least the younger boy be embarrassed about their incredibly awkward position. Ash shuffled around a bit, but surprisingly remained in his current position. "God I'm so horny…" Ash said softly to himself as he reached down and grasped his erection with his right hand. Hearing this Gary swallowed so hard he thought it must have been audible from a mile away. 'what the hell are you doing? The love of your life is lying next to you, ready and waiting and you're pretending to be asleep?! Make a freakin move already!' the little voice in his head said. Swallowing his pride, Gary opened his eyes, only to find that Ash was staring down at him.

"Say Ash, are you OK?" Gary questioned the unmistakable signs of lust plastered all over Ash's face, his eyes glazed over. Ash blinked, and then moved in closer, his lips grazing softly against Gary's own. "I've loved you since I met you, Mr. Gary." Ash said softly, looking away in slight embarrassment. Gary's mind was now in a total state of chaos. Was this just a dream? If it was then he had nothing to lose. If not, that would be even better. "Ash…" Gary said gently, his eyes closed.

"I've…I've always fancied you. Much more than a friend you know. I…I've always loved you, so much so that it drove me mad. That's why I pushed you away when we were kids. I was a coward…" Gary trailed off, not knowing what more to say. Ash looked back at the auburn haired boy, smiling a warm, heartfelt smile. Slowly, he slid over to lay on top of him.

Looking into Gary's hazel eyes, he lowered his head, and soon there lips met. Sparks shot through their body's, the sensation of the kiss melting their minds into one unified conscious. "Ahh!" Ash exclaimed, breaking their contact. "That was incredible…" the smaller boy said, gasping for air. " Yea well, there's more where that came from..." Gary said, putting his hand behind the head of his raven haired lover and pulling him into another kiss. This time it was deeper, longer and so much more passionate. The two finally broke their contact again, Ash transfixed with Gary's hazel eyes and Gary with Ash's deep brown ones. Ash droped his head down again, this time nibbling a bit on Gary's ear lobe before he whispered in the older boy's ear. "What do you say we make this a night to remember?" Ash purred seductively, grinding against his friend-turned-rival-turned lover. "Do you really have to ask?" Gary almost chuckled before he kicked off his jeans and boxers. Ash removed his boxers and soon both boys where lying completely naked, Ash on top. They continued to kiss, getting more and more into it. Gary ran his hands over Ash's back, amazed at how silky smooth his tanned skin was. Ash arched at the contact, his own hand tentatively brushing a few loose strands of hair out of his lovers face. Gary squeezed Ash's left butt check with his hand, eliciting a moan from his raven haired angel.

Ash pushed himself against the boy underneath him; their erections grinding together in ecstasy as they frantically devoured one another, each one struggling for more contact as the heat between them rose to unbearable levels. "take me" Ash whispered, eyes completely glazed over with uncontrollable lust. Ash scooted up a bit, positioning himself for Gary to enter. They continued to kiss frantically as the auburn haired boy slowly worked his way inch by inch into Ash. There was no need for lubrication as Gary was already dripping wet with precum. "Ah!" Ash almost shouted, the current mixture of novel sensations driving him wild. "A-are you o-okay?" Gary stuttered, hoping he wasn't hurting the smaller boy. "f-fine..aaahahH…it…feels…..so fucking g-good…." Ash cursed, throwing his head back and pushing himself down forcefully on the older boy. Gary almost came right then, but managed to calm himself.

Outside the storm continued to drench the forest, another huge lightning bolt lighting up the night sky as Ash started to bounce up and down rhythmically on his lover. Ash dropped his head again, sucking at the other boys neck and running his hands through his hair hysterically as Gary pounded into him from below. "AH god ASH! Your so fucking tight!" Gary said gasping for breath as he could feel his orgasm near. "AAaahahaaaa….just….ngh…shut...the..hell up…and….AAAHA…FUCK..ME!" Ash cussed again. The sound of his goody two shoes rival using such foul language driving Gary even closer to the edge. Outside the thunder crashed through the heavens, the forest floor shaking as the sound of the ear-splitting storm drew nearer and nearer. Ash gave Gary a small kiss on the forehead before he threw his head back again, slamming himself down again and again in fits of hysteria. He was so close.

They were so close it hurt. Feeling like he was starting to lose control Gary reached down and grasped Ash's rock hard member, it's entire length completely coated in Ash's precum. Ash's eyes which had previously been squeezed tightly closed shot open, his mind completely lost to the new sensation. Gary started to pump him in earnest as they edged ever closer to their climax, both of them moaning in abject ecstasy as the sensations practically turned the minds to mush. Another massive flash of lighting light up the forest, the sound of the thunder almost as deafening as their collective moans of pleasure. " G-Ga-Garrry…I'm…I'm….ga..ga..gonnaa" Ash jerked uncontrollably as he felt like he couldn't take anymore, his head falling into the crook of Gary's neck as he buckled over. Sensing this Gary pumped him harder with his right hand as he summoned every last drop of energy to pound the daylights out of the younger boy, hitting his prostate once, twice, a third time.

And then they were gone. Lost in a state of trance. As another massive roll of thunder shook the very foundation of the earth, Ash came so forcefully he practically saw nothing but white, his hands desperately clawing at his lover. Gary came a second later, his entire body quivering and shaking uncontrollably as he emptied himself into his raven haired angel. Outside the storm raged on, but inside the boys minds there was nothing but silence as the power of their collective orgasms caused the blood to rush through their heads with deafening intensity. Slowly but surely they descended back to reality, their breathing still frantic as they recovered in unison. Outside the storm had died down, only the gentle sound of soft rain now audible. Ash was the first one to break the silence. "wow…." He said, still slightly out of breath. "That was amazing…that was beyond amazing…" Gary whispered, giving Ash a little peck on the cheek. The smaller boy blushed in the darkness, moving over to lie next to his lover. "you where amazing" the smaller boy said delicately as he grabbed his boxers and used them to clean himself and his boyfriend off with. A minute or two of silence passed, before Gary spoke up "You know, I would have never thought in a million years that you had feelings for me. It's…" Gary struggled to find the words, "it's like a dream come true. It's everything I've always wanted…" he trailed off, feeling very emotional.

Ash kissed him on the cheek, scooting up closer and resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder. "That's exactly how I feel….so….you're not alone…and you'll never have to be alone again." The smaller boy finished, yawning as he closed his eyes. Gary soon followed suit, closing his eyes and holding his newly found passion in a tight embrace. "What are we going to tell my grandfather and your mom when we get back to Pallet Town? They might not warm up to easily to the idea of their boys in love with one another…" Gary said, sleep clouding his mind. Ash stirred a bit, thinking everything over before he spoke. "If they've got a problem with it I know exactly what I'm gonna say…" Ash said, a cheeky smile spreading across his face. "And what's that, Ashy-boy?" Gary asked affectionately through half lidded eyes.

Ash leaned closer and whispered into Gary's ear;

"_C'est la vie; that's the way life is…"_


End file.
